Reading the Books: Book 1, Into the Wild
by ilikedragons
Summary: The four clans are having a peaceful Gathering when seven cats appear and tell the Clans that they must read a book about a very special cat. Rated T for cat swearing and fighting.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello world! This is, as the title and description say, a story about the Clans reading the books. This one is for 'Into the Wild'.**

'Firestar' **is normal speech.**

**'Bluestar' is reading.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. If I did, Spottedleaf would still be alive.**

**Chapter 1**

It was a normal gathering at Fourtrees. All four clans were milling about, waiting for the Gathering to begin.

Bluestar leaped on to the Great Rock. "Cats of all Clans," she yowled. The Clan cat turned to face her. "Let the Gathering now begin!"

Satisfied, Bluestar turned to the other Leaders. "Who would like to begin?" she asked.

"I would." Growled Crookedstar.

He stepped in front of Bluestar to give his report. Before he could, there was a flash of green light. When it dimmed, seven cats were standing on the Great Rock.

"Hello Clan cats," mewed a she-cat with green eyes and a brown and white dappled pelt, obviously the leader of the group. "If I'm correct,this is the Gathering with Redtail as deputy of ThunderClan and Yellowfang as ShadowClan's medicine cat."

Bluestar nodded. "Well then," The cat continued. "I am Hawkclaw of a faraway clan, unknown to you. This is Wolfpaw," she indicated to a gray tom sitting next to her. "My apprentice and my four kits, Hollykit, Firekit, Stormkit and Lilykit."

The she-cat next to Wolfpaw spoke. "I am Willowleaf, medicine cat of our clan. We are here to read some books."

At this, Brokenstar asked, "What are these 'books' as you call them?"

" A book is an item that contains a story. We are going to be reading a book about a very special cat. Every day at sunhigh, _everyone_, even the kits and elders, from your Clans must come here to read. This cat will affect the future of all of you. From the moment we appeared, we became an alternate version of ourselves. We are here to serve as a warning of what may have come to pass had we left you alone.

" And if we don't bring them all?" sneered Brokenstar.

"Then we will know." Wolfpaw spoke for the first time.

"Then we shall bring all of our Clans here tomorrow at sunhigh." Tallstar dipped his head.

"Good to know," said Hawkclaw. "Continue on with your Gathering now."

**o0OI'm just a line break, don't mind meO0o**

At sunhigh then next day, the four Clans met at Fourtrees.

Hawkclaw began, "Into the Wild. Prologue."


	2. Prologue

**A/N: I' m really sorry about the wait. But thank you so very much for your reviews.**

**A wonderful reviewer by the name of XoverMasta brought to my attention that I never specified when the story takes place. It takes place about one moon before Rusty first enters the forest. so Redtail and Oakheart are still alive and Bluestar has never seen Rusty before.**

**Disclaimer: If I was Erin Hunter, I would probably not be on this website.**

**Prologue:**

"What's a prologue?" asked Smallear.

"A prologue is an introduction to a story." meowed Willowleaf. " It's general purpose is to give the reader background information. It takes place before the general timeline."

"Good to know," said Smallear.

Hawkclaw began.

**A half-moon glowed on smooth granite boulders, turning them silver. The silence was broken only by the ripple of water from the swift black river and the whisper of trees from the forest beyond.**

"Just get on with the story already," growled Tigerclaw.

**There was a stirring in the shadows, and from all around lithe dark shapes crept stealthily over the rocks. Unsheathed claws glinted in the moonlight. Wary eyes flashed like amber. And then, as if on signal, the creatures leaped at each other, and suddenly the rocks were alive with wrestling, screeching cats.**

"Ooh! A battle!" squeaked a ShadowClan kit.

"Shhh, what if it is ShadowClan fighting?" Littlepaw told the kit. The kit fell silent at this thought.

**At the center of the frenzy of fur and claws, a massive dark tabby pinned down a bracken-colored tom to the ground and drew up his head triumphantly. "Oakheart!"**

Said cat huffed at being pinned down in battle.

**The tabby growled. "How dare you hunt in our territory? The Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan!"**

Tallstar sighed. ThunderClan was fighting with RiverClan over the Sunningrocks again.

"**After tonight, Tigerclaw, this will be just another RiverClan hunting ground!" the bracken-colored tom spat back.**

"As if!" hissed Darkstripe.

**A warning yowl came from the shore, shrill and anxious. "Look out! More RiverClan warriors are coming!"**

Oakheart looked smug at this. They would easily win now.

**Tigerclaw turned to see sleek wet bodies sliding out of the water below the rocks. The drenched RiverClan warriors bounded silently up the shore and hurled themselves into battle with out even stopping to shake the water from their fur.**

**The dark tabby glared at Oakheart. "You may swim like otters, but you and your warriors do not belong in this forest!" He drew his lips back and showed his teeth as the cat struggled beneath him.**

**The desperate scream of a ThunderClan she-cat rose above the clamor. A wiry RiverClan tom had pinned the brown warrior flat on her belly. Now he lunged toward her neck with jaws still dripping from his swim across the river. **

" Yuck." said Graykit.

**Tigerclaw heard the cry and let go of Oakheart. With a mighty leap, he knocked the enemy warrior away from the she-cat. "Quick, Mousefur, run!"**

Mousefur's fur bristled in fear.

"These books will be very hard on all of you." Hawkclaw said. "Some of you will become sick, get hurt and even die. But remember, this does not have to happen. It's not to late to change it."

**he ordered, before turning on the RiverClan tom who had threatened her. Mousefur scrambled to her paws, wincing from a deep gash on her shoulder, and raced away.**

**Behind her, Tigerclaw spat with rage as the RiverClan tom sliced open his nose. Blood blinded him for an instant, but he lunged forward regardless and sank his teeth into the hind leg of his enemy. The RiverClan cat squealed and struggled free.**

"It's useless." said Dustkit. "There are too many RiverClan cats."

"**Tigerclaw!" The yowl came from a warrior with a tail as red as fox fur. "This is useless! There are too many RiverClan warriors!"**

"No! Dustkit! You think like Redtail! Don't leave me!" Graykit mock sobbed.

"**No, Redtail. ThunderClan will never be beaten!" Tigerclaw yowled back, leaping to Redtail's side. "This is our territory!" Blood was welling around his broad black muzzle, and he shook his head impatiently, scattering scarlet drops onto the rocks.**

"**ThunderClan will honor your courage, Tigerclaw, but we cannot afford to lose any more of our warriors," Redtail urged. "Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds.**

"No, I wouldn't," murmured Bluestar.

**We will have another chance to avenge this defeat." He met Tigerclaw's amber-eyed gaze steadily, then reared away and sprang onto a boulder at the edge of the trees.**

"**Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat!" he yowled. At once his warriors squirmed and struggled away from their opponents. Spitting and snarling, they backed toward Redtail. For a heartbeat, the RiverClan cats looked confused. Was this battle so easily won? Then Oakheart yowled a jubilant cry. As soon as they heard him, the RiverClan warriors raised their voices and joined their deputy in caterwauling their victory.**

"Ha-ha! We won! The Sunningrocks are ours now Bluestar!" yowled Crookedstar.

"Not for long." Hissed Bluestar in return.

"Yes, and RiverClan and ThunderClan will fight over the Sunningrocks until the end of the forest, yada yada. We know." Said Hollykit.

"Don't be rude to them Hollykit," Wolfpaw chided.

"But its true!" protested Hollykit.

"That doesn't mean you should be disrespectful about it," Stormkit told her.

"Yes, Perfectstar," mewed Hollykit.

"Don't call me Perfectstar!" screeched Stormkit.

"You act like it. Always 'Don't do that Hollykit', or 'You're not supposed to go there Hollykit' I'm sick of it!"

"That's it," growled Stormkit and he launched himself at Hollykit.

The two began to play fight, while Firekit and Lilykit stared at them.

Finally, Hawkclaw and Willowleaf pulled the two kits away from each other.

"Behave you two, or I'll tell Foxstar who put fire ants in the Elder's den." Hawkclaw told them.

"You knew?" gasped Hollykit.

Hawkclaw said nothing and began to read again.

**Redtail looked down at his warriors. With a flick of his tail, he gave the signal and the ThunderClan cats dived down the far side of the Sunningrocks, then disappeared into the trees.**

**Tigerclaw followed last. He hesitated at the edge of the forest and glanced back at the bloodstained battlefield. His face was grim, his eyes furious slits. Then he leaped after his Clan into the silent forest.**

**In a deserted clearing, an old grey she cat**

"I am not old!" Bluestar protested.

Lionheart leaned over to Whitestorm. "Notice how she immediately assumes that the book, or whatever its called is talking about her," he purred.

**Sat alone, staring up at the clear night sky. All around her in the shadows she could hear the breathin and stirring of sleeping cats.**

**A small tortoiseshell she-cat emerged from a dark corner, her paw steps quick and soundless.**

**The grey cat dipped her head in greeting. "How is Mousefur?" she meowed.**

**"Her wounds are deep, Bluestar," **

Mousefur looked scared at the reminder of her wounds.

**answered the tortoiseshell, settling herself on the night-cool grass. "But she is young and strong; she will heal quickly."**

Mousefur seemed somewhat comforted by this, but still felt worried for her future self.

**"And the others?"**

**"They will recover too."**

**Bluestar sighed, you are a gifted medicine cat, Spottedleaf." She tilted her head again and studied the stars. "I am deeply troubled by tonight's defeat.**

Crookedstar once again looked triumphant at the reminder of Riverclan's victory.

**ThunderClan has not been beaten in its own territory since I became leader," she murmured. "These are difficult times for our Clan.**

A ShadowClan warrior named Clawface looked interested in this fact along with some of his Clanmates and Brokenstar.

**The season of newleaf is late, and there have been fewer kits. ThunderClan needs more warriors if it is to survive."**

**"But the year is only just beginning," Spottedleaf pointed out calmly. "There will be more kits when greenleaf comes."**

**The grey cat twitched her broad shoulders. "Perhaps. But training our young to become warriors takes time. If ThunderClan is to defend its territory, it must have new warriors as soon as possible."**

" That is true Bluestar," Tallstar agreed.

**"Are you looking to StarClan for answers?" meowed Spottedleaf gently, following Bluestar's gaze and staring up at the swath of stars glittering in the dark sky.**

"Silverpelt is so pretty." sighed a WindClan kit.

**"It is at times like this we need the words of ancient warriors to help us. Has StarClan spoken to you?" Bluestar asked.**

**"Not for some moons Bluestar."**

Bluestar looked over to Spottedleaf. Was this good or bad news?

**Suddenly a shooting star blazed over the treetops. Spottedleaf's tail twitched and the fur along her spine bristled.**

**Bluestar's ear pricked but she remained silent as Spottedleaf continued to gaze upward.**

**After a few moments, Spottedleaf lowered her head and turned to Bluestar. "It was a message from StarClan," she murmured. **

Barkface, Yellowfang, Spottedleaf and Mudfur leaned forward in interest.

**A distant look came into her eyes. "Fire alone can save our Clan."**

"But fire is feared by all of the Clans!" said a puzzeled Morningflower.

**"Fire?" Bluestar echoed. " But fire is feared by all of the Clans! How can it save us?"**

"Hey Morningflower!" Runningwind called over. " You think like Bluestar!"

**Spottedleaf shook her head. "I do not know," she admitted. "But this is the message StarClan has chosen to share with me."**

**The ThunderClan leader fixed her clear blue eyes on the medicine cat. "You have never been wrong before, Spottedleaf," she meowed. "If StarClan has spoken, then it must be so. Fire will save our Clan."**

"That's the end of the prologue." meowed Hawkclaw.


End file.
